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H. Res. 154. Budget/Procedural Vote on the Governing Rule for H. Con. Res. 95, the Bill to Set the United States Government Budget for Fiscal 2006. (2005 house Roll Call 79)

In this vote, the House voted to approve the rule governing consideration of H. Con. Res. 95, a bill to set the United States government budget for Fiscal 2006 (FY06). (A rule sets forth what amendments House members may offer, how much time each side will be permitted to speak, how long the debate can last, etc. A vote on the rule usually reflects existing support and opposition for the underlying legislation and/or loyalty to one's party.) (This vote was a follow-up to vote 78, which was also a procedural vote regarding the rule for H.Con. Res. 95.) The first step in Congress's annual budget process is to pass a non-binding budget resolution, which establishes priorities and a framework for federal government spending in the coming year. Representatives focused their debate concerning the rule on the substance of the underlying budget resolution. Opposing the rule, Democrats&ndash;including Progressives&ndash;criticized the priorities set forth in the Republican-drafted FY06 budget resolution: "[t]he majority's budget resolution throws an additional $106 billion in tax cuts to the Nation's wealthiest, while cutting billions in crucial funding for health care, education and housing programs; programs that help the hardworking Americans get by from day-to-day; programs that give hope to mothers and fathers that they, too, may one day share in the American dream." (Louise Slaughter (D-NY).) They also expressed concerns about numerous other issues arising from the budget resolution as drafted, claiming that it hid the costs of Social Security privatization and deploring the included level of spending on the war in Iraq. Republicans countered that the budget resolution reflected sound tax and tax-cut policies. In general, they argued that it provided a balanced approach to important issues, including Social Security privatization and the war in Iraq, which they linked to the "war on terror." They further noted that the events of September 11, 2001 necessitated a reordering of national priorities to prevent further attacks, and that that reorganization was reflected appropriately in the resolution. The House voted 228 to 196 on a straight party-line vote to approve the rule for the FY06 budget resolution; thus allowing the House to proceed to consideration of the actual budget. However, some amendments Democrats wished to offer to oppose Social Security privatization and reflect other Democratic priorities were not permitted as part of the resolution's consideration.